Thuja plant named ‘Art Boe’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Thuja  plant named ‘Art Boe’, characterized by its upright and narrowly conical plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; green-colored leaves that do not winter burn; and good winter hardiness.

Botanical designation: Thuja occidentalis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ART BOE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Thuja plant, botanically known as Thuja occidentalis, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Art Boe’.

The new Thuja plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Faribault, Mich. The objective of the breeding program is to create new narrowly conical Thuja plants with good winter hardiness.

The new Thuja plant originated from an open-pollination in 1998 in Faribault, Mich. of Thuja occidentalis ‘Hetz Wintergreen’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Thuja occidentalis, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Thuja plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Faribault, Mich. in 2001.

Asexual reproduction of the new Thuja plant by hardwood cuttings in a controlled environment in Faribault, Mich. since 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Thuja plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Thuja have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Art Boe’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Art Boe’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Thuja plant:

-   -   1. Upright and narrowly conical plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Green-colored leaves that do not winter burn.     -   5. Good winter hardiness.

Plants of the new Thuja can be compared to plants of the female parent, ‘Hetz Wintergreen’. Plants of the new Thuja differ primarily from plants of ‘Hetz Wintergreen’ in plant habit as plants of the new Thuja are narrower than plants of ‘Hetz Wintergreen’.

Plants of the new Thuja can be compared to plants of Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald’, not patented. Plants of the new Thuja differ from plants of ‘Emerald’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Thuja are narrower than plants of         ‘Emerald’.     -   2. Plants of the new Thuja have darker green-colored foliage         than plants of ‘Emerald’.     -   3. Leaves of plants of the new Thuja do not winter burn whereas         leaves of plants of ‘Emerald’ winter burn.     -   4. Plants of the new Thuja were more winter hardy than plants of         ‘Emerald’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Thuja plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Thuja plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘Art Boe’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical plant of ‘Art Boe’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in outdoor nurseries in Faribault and Grand Haven, Mich. and under conditions which closely approximate commercial Thuja plant production. Plants were three years old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following detailed description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Thuja occidentalis ‘Art Boe’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Thuja occidentalis ‘Hetz             Wintergreen’, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Thuja             occidentalis, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By hardwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About three months at 10° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About ten             months at 10° C.         -   Root description.—Thick and fine; brown and cream in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial coniferous shrub; upright             and narrowly conical plant habit; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 1.5 meters.         -   Plant diameter.—About 35 cm.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching with numerous lateral             branches; dense and bushy habit.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 16 cm. Diameter:             About 4 mm. Internode length: Less than 1 mm. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Smooth. Color: Developing branches: Close             to 144B. Developed branches: Close to 177A.         -   Leaf description.—Appearance/arrangement: Flattened and             appressed, scale-like; opposite, simple; sessile. Length:             About 1 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Ovate to oblanceolate.             Apex: Abruptly pointed. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire.             Venation pattern: Veins are not visible. Fragrance:             Cedar-like. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing             leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 143A. Fully             expanded leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 141A;             leaves do not winter burn. -   Cone description: Cone development has not been observed on plants     of the new Thuja. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Thuja have been observed     have good winter hardiness and to tolerate temperatures from about     −35° C. to about 36° C. -   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Thuja have not been     observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Thuja     plants. 

1. A new and distinct Thuja plant named ‘Art Boe’ as illustrated and described. 